Qusin Village Profile

Prepared by

The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem

Funded by

Spanish Cooperation

2014

Palestinian Localities Study Nablus Governorate

Acknowledgments

ARIJ hereby expresses its deep gratitude to the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) for their funding of this project.

ARIJ is grateful to the Palestinian officials in the ministries, municipalities, joint services councils, village committees and councils, and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) for their assistance and cooperation with the project team members during the data collection process.

ARIJ also thanks all the staff who worked throughout the past couple of years towards the accomplishment of this work.

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Background

This report is part of a series of booklets, which contain compiled information about each city, town, and village in the Nablus Governorate. These booklets came as a result of a comprehensive study of all localities in Nablus Governorate, which aims at depicting the overall living conditions in the governorate and presenting developmental plans to assist in developing the livelihood of the population in the area. It was accomplished through the "Village Profiles and Needs Assessment;" the project funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID).

The "Village Profiles and Needs Assessment" was designed to study, investigate, analyze and document the socio-economic conditions and the needed programs and activities to mitigate the impact of the current unsecure political, economic and social conditions in Nablus Governorate.

The project's objectives are to survey, analyze, and document the available natural, human, socioeconomic and environmental resources, and the existing limitations and needs assessment for the development of the rural and marginalized areas in Nablus Governorate. In addition, the project aims at preparing strategic developmental programs and activities to mitigate the impact of the current political, social, and economic instability with the focus on the agricultural sector.

All locality profiles in Arabic and English are available online at http://vprofile.arij.org.

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Table of Contents

Location and Physical Characteristics ______4 History ______5 Religious and Archaeological Sites ______6 Population ______7 Education ______8 Health Status ______9 Economic Activities ______9 Agricultural Sector ______11 Institutions and Services ______13 Infrastructure and Natural Resources ______13 Environmental Conditions ______15 Impact of the Israeli Occupation ______16 Development Plans and Projects ______18 Implemented Projects ______18 Proposed Projects ______18 Locality Development Priorities and Needs ______19

References: ______20

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Qusin Village Profile

Location and Physical Characteristics

Qusin is a Palestinian village in Nablus Governorate located 7.66km west of Nablus city. It is bordered by Beit Iba to the east, Deir Sharaf to the north, Kafr Qaddum to the west, and Kafr Qaddum and Jit to the south. (ARIJ-GIS, 2014) (See Map 1).

Map 1: Qusin location and borders

Source: ARIJ - GIS Unit, 2014

Qusin is located at an altitude of 507m above sea level with a mean annual rainfall of 584.7mm. The average annual temperature is 16oC and the average annual humidity is approximately 61% (ARIJ-GIS, 2014).

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The total area of Qusin village consists of approximately 498,4 dunums. This is according to the new borders of the local bodies which were stipulated by the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government, prepared by the Palestinian National Authority and represented by the Ministry of Local Government, the Central Elections Commission, the Ministry of Planning and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics 2011. These governmental institutions redeveloped and altered the borders of the local bodies for the purpose of the elections. ARIJ adopted these new borders in this project for the purposes of research and study. The adopted borders, to a certain extent, suited the demographic variables and the environmental and agricultural facts on the ground. These borders do not represent the space and the borders of private property in the district. It is also not included in the files of private land properties.

Since 1,,4, Qusin has been governed by a Village Council which is currently administrated by 8 members appointed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). There are additionally 2 employees working in the council, which rents a permanent headquarters (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

It is the responsibility of the Village Council to provide a number of services to the residents of Qusin, including (Qusin Village Council, 2013):

 The establishment and maintenance of the drinking water network.  Road rehabilitation, construction and pavement, and public services.  Implementation of projects and studies.

History

It is said that the word “Qusin” was converted from the Syriac word “kasin” which means the hidden, or was converted from the Arabic word “qasiya” which means firewood, due to the many forests the village used to have.

The village was established more than 1,500 years ago. Its residents however are originally from the Arabian Peninsula and Yemen (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

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Photo of Qusin

Religious and Archaeological Sites

There are two mosques in the village (Mus’ab ibn ‘Umair and Qusin Old Mosques). The village has a few sites of archaeological interest including Khirbet Beit Sallum and Khirbet an Nijma (ruins), and the ‘Ein ash Sharq area. However in order for this to be utilized for tourism it must be rehabilitated and then approved by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Qusin Village Council, 2013) (See Map 2).

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Map 2: Main locations in Qusin Village

Source: ARIJ - GIS Unit, 2014.

Population

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the total population of Qusin in 2007 was ,86; of whom 484 were male and 4,, female. There were additionally 300 households registered as living in 339 housing units.

Age Groups and Gender

The General Census of Population and Housing carried out by PCBS in 2007 showed the distribution of age groups in Qusin is as follows: 4222% were less than 15 years of age, 53% were between 15 and 64 years of age, and 428% were 65 years of age or older. Data additionally showed that the sex ratio of males to females in the village is ,426:100; meaning that males and females constitute 4,24% and 5.26% of the population, respectively.

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Families

Qusin residents are from several families, including Salman, Yadak and Abd Rabbuh (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

Education

According to the results of the PCBS Population, Housing and Establishment Census 2007, the illiteracy rate among Qusin population is approximately 1128%, of whom 6,28% are females. Of the literate population, 2.28% could only read and write, with no formal education, 3124% had elementary education, 2.23% had preparatory education, 1.25% had secondary education, and 521% completed higher education. Table 1 shows the educational level in the village of Qusin by sex and educational attainment in 2007.

Table 1: Qusin population (10 years and above) by sex and educational attainment S Can Illite- Element- Preparat- Second- Associate Higher Un- E read & Bachelor Master PhD Total rate ary ory ary Diploma Diploma known x write M 25 68 104 86 38 5 19 - 1 - - 346 F 58 78 117 57 36 4 7 - - - - 357 T 83 146 221 143 74 9 26 - 1 - - 703 Source: PCBS, 2009.

There are three public schools in the village, all of which are run by the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education, but there are no kindergartens (Directorate of Education in Nablus, 2012) (see Table 2).

Table 2: Schools in Qusin by name, stage, sex, and supervising authority (2011/2012) School Name Supervising Authority Sex Qusin Co-educated Elementary School Government Mixed Qusin Girls’ Secondary School Government Female Qusin Boys’ Secondary School Government Male Source: Directorate of Education in Nablus, 2012

In the village there are 540 students, 39 teachers, and 24 classes. The average number of students per teacher in the school is nearly 14, whilst the average number of students per class is approximately 23 (Directorate of Education in Nablus, 2012).

The educational sector in Qusin village faces a number of obstacles, including (Qusin Village Council, 2013):

 Overcrowded classrooms, especially at the girls’ schools.  The aged schools’ buildings which are in need of restoration.

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Health Status

Qusin has Qusin Governmental Health Center and a private clinic for the care of pregnant women. In the absence of required health services or in emergencies, patients are transferred to Rafidiya or the national hospitals or to Nablus Health Clinic in Nablus city (8km away) (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

The health sector in the village faces a number of obstacles and problems, principally (Qusin Village Council, 2013):

 The lack of an ambulance.  The lack of attention given by the Ministry of Health to patient needs in the village.  The lack of advanced devices at the health center.

Economic Activities

The economy in Qusin is dependent mainly on the Government or other employees sector which absorbs 53% of the village’s workforce (Qusin Village Council, 2013) (See Figure 1).

The results of a field survey conducted by the ARIJ field team in 2013 for the distribution of labor by economic activity in Qusin are as follows:

 Government or other employees sector (53%)  Israeli labor market (30%)  Agriculture sector (5%)  Trade sector (5%)  Industry (5%)  Services Sector (2%)

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Figure 1: The distribution of labor force among main economic activities in Qusin

Source: Qusin Village Council, 2013

Qusin has 15 groceries, 1 bakery, 6 different professional workshops, 4 quarries and stone crushers, 3 stone cutters, 2 olive oil-presses and 1 agricultural nursery (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

In 2013, the unemployment rate in Qusin reached 45% and the group most affected economically by Israeli restrictions has been workers in the agriculture sector (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

Labor Force

According to the PCBS Population, Housing and Establishment Census-2007, 3.28% of Qusin’s labor force was economically active, of whom 8421% were employed, 6,22% were not economically active, 6625% were students, and 3425% were housekeepers (See Table 3).

Table 3: Qusin population (10 years of age and above) by sex and employment status Economically active Non-economically active Not S Un- Currently working e Employ- employed Stud- House- Unable Not stated Total Unem- Total & not Others Total x ed (never ent keeping to work ployed looking worked) for work M 279 20 33 332 226 32 7 5 270 - 602 F 29 1 4 34 231 284 37 - - 552 - 586 T 308 21 37 366 457 284 69 7 5 822 - 1,188 M: Male; F: Female; T: Total. Source: PCBS, 2009.

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Agricultural Sector

Qusin has a total area of approximately 498,4 dunums of which 39665 are ‘arable’ land and 218 dunums are registered as ‘residential’ (See Table 4 and Map 3).

Table 4: Land use and land cover in Qusin village (area in dunum) Area of Agricultural area Area of Built Settlements, Total (36,,3) Inland Open Industrial, up Forests Military Area water Spaces Commercial & Area Permanent Green- Range- Arable Bases & Transport Unit Crops houses lands lands Wall Zone 49897 218 29466 1 251 947 . . 559 455 . Source: ARIJ – GIS Unit, 2014.

Map 3: Land use/land cover and Segregation Wall in Qusin Village

Source: ARIJ - GIS Unit, 2014.

There are not many different types of rain-fed and irrigated open-cultivated vegetables in Qusin; only 2 dunums of land are cultivated with green beans (Ministry of Agriculture-Nablus, 2010).

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Table 5 shows the different types of fruit trees planted in the area. Qusin is famous for olive cultivation and there are approximately 1,020 dunums of land planted with olive trees in the village.

Table 5: Total area of horticulture and olive trees in Qusin (area in dunums) Olives Citrus Stone-fruits Pome fruits Nuts Other fruits Total Area Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. 1,020 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 89 0 49 0 1,165 0 Rf.: Rain-fed; Irr.: Irrigated. Source: Ministry of Agriculture-Nablus, 2010

In terms of field crops and forage in Qusin, cereals (particularly wheat) are the most cultivated, covering an area of approximately 110 dunums (See Table 6).

Table 6: Total area of forage and field crops in Qusin (area in dunums) Dry Forage Stimulatin Other Cereals Bulbs Oil crops Total Area legumes crops g crops crops Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. Rf. Irr. 110 0 1 0 30 0 2 0 40 0 0 0 3 0 186 0 Rf.: Rain-fed; Irr.: Irrigated. Source: Ministry of Agriculture-Nablus, 2010

The difference between the two sets of results obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and ARIJ’s GIS Unit in sizes of agricultural areas is explained by the difference in each organization’s definition of land coverage and ownership. The MoA and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (2011) conducted a survey which used a definition of agricultural areas based on land ownership. Therefore, the areas included in the survey were those of actual holdings of agricultural areas and not consider fragmented and small seasonal cultivated areas in residential and agricultural areas. ARIJ’s survey, however, indicated the existence of a high proportion of small and fragmented holdings (home gardens) throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. This therefore accounts for the larger area of agricultural holdings calculated by ARIJ.

The field survey conducted by the ARIJ team shows that 10% of the residents in Qusin rear and keeps domestic animals such as cows and sheep (See Table 7).

Table 7: Livestock in Qusin Cows* Sheep Goats Camels Horses Donkeys Mules Broilers Layers Bee Hives 16 170 80 0 0 0 0 100,000 0 8 *Including cows, bull calves, heifer calves and bulls Source: Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture - Nablus, 2010

There are approximately 12 kilometers of agricultural roads in the village, divided as follows (Qusin Village Council, 2013):

Table 8: Agricultural Roads in Qusin Village and their Lengths Suitability of Agricultural Roads Length (km) For vehicles - For tractors and agricultural machinery only 2 For animals only - Unsuitable 10 Source: Qusin Village Council, 2013

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The agricultural sector in the village faces a number of problems including (Qusin Village Council, 2013):

 The location of illegal settlements near the village.  The confiscation of lands by the Israeli occupation.  The lack of capital for agricultural projects.  The lack of water resources.  The lack of economic feasibility for agricultural investment.  The spread of pigs and wild animals which destroy the crops.

Institutions and Services

Qusin village has a number of local institutions and associations that provide services to various sectors of society. These include (Qusin Village Council, 2013):

 Qusin Village Council: Founded in 1994 and registered later by the Ministry of Local Government, with the aim of taking care of different issues concerning the village and providing various services to its population, in addition to infrastructure services.  Qusin (As Sanabil) Women Society: Founded in 2004 by the Ministry of Interior with the aim of providing awareness, education and income generating projects for needy families, in addition to handworks, embroidery and other activities.  Az Zaytunah Cultural Center: Founded in 1996 and registered later by the Ministry of Youth & Sports with the aim of serving the youth sector and providing cultural courses.  Wasel Youth Center: Founded in 2008, the Center is provides assisting education and students support projects.  Qusin Sports Club: Founded in 1997 and registered later by the Ministry of Youth & Sports. The Club organizes sports team, and artistic activities among others.

Infrastructure and Natural Resources

Electricity and Telecommunication Services:

Qusin has been connected to a public electricity network since 1985. It is served by the Israeli Qatariya Electricity Company, which is the main source of electricity in the village. Approximately 95% of the housing units in the village are connected to the network. However, the village suffers a number of obstacles concerning the electricity sector, in particular, the problem of prepaid meters, the village’s need for a high pressure network and the lack of electrical adapters (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

Qusin is also connected to a telecommunication network; approximately 50% of the housing units within the village boundaries are connected to phone lines (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

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Transportation Services:

There are 2 public buses and 50 private cars in Qusin used by the residents for transportation, however these are considered insufficient (Qusin Village Council, 2013). There are 1.5km of main roads and 5km of secondary roads in Qusin (Qusin Village Council, 2013) (See Table 9).

Table 9: Roads in Qusin Village

Status of Internal Roads Road Length (km) Main Sub 1. Paved & in good condition 1.5 2 2. Paved & in poor condition - 1 3. Unpaved - 2 Source: Qusin Village Council, 2013

Water Resources:

Qusin is provided with water by Mekorot through the public water network established in 1985. Approximately 95% of housing units are connected to the public water (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

The quantity of water supplied to Qusin village in 2012 was recorded at approximately 72,000 cubic meters/year (Qusin Village Council, 2013). Therefore, the estimated rate of water supply per capita is approximately 104 liters/day. However, no Qusin citizen consumes this amount of water due to water losses, which are estimated at 40% (Qusin Village Council, 2013). These losses happen at the main source, major transport lines, in the distribution network, and at the household level. Therefore, the rate of water consumption per capita in Qusin is 62 liters per day (Qusin Village Council, 2013). The average water consumption of Qusin residents is low compared with the minimum quantity of 100 liters per capita per day proposed by the World Health Organization. In addition, the village has 50 domestic wells to collect rain water (Qusin Village Council, 2013). Each cubic meter of water from the public network costs 4.5 NIS (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

Sanitation:

Qusin lacks a public sewerage network and most of the population use cesspits and septic tanks as a main means for wastewater disposal (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

Based on the estimated daily per capita water consumption, the approximated quantity of wastewater generated per day, is 95 cubic meters, or 34,600 cubic meters annually. At the individual level, it is estimated that the per capita wastewater generation is approximately 50 liters per day. The wastewater collected by cesspits and septic tanks is discharged by wastewater tankers directly to open areas or nearby valleys with little regard for the environment. Here it is noted that there is no wastewater treatment either at the source or at the disposal sites and this poses a serious threat to the environment in addition to public health (ARIJ - WERU, 2013).

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Solid Waste Management:

The Joint Services Council for Solid Waste in Nablus is responsible for the collection and disposal of solid waste generated by citizens and establishments in the village. As the process of solid waste management is costly, a monthly fee amounting to 21 NIS/ month per household is charged to the population and facilities served by domestic solid waste collection and transportation services. About 95% of these fees are collected (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

Most of the population in Qusin benefits from the solid waste services, whereby waste is collected from households, institutions, shops, and public squares in plastic bags, and placed in 10 containers of 1m³ capacity plus 400 barrels of 20 liter capacity, located at various points in the village. The Joint Council collects the solid waste three times weekly and transports it using a waste vehicle to Zahret al Finjan dumping site in Jenin Governorate, 25km from the village. Here the waste is subsequently buried in an environmentally sound way (Qusin Village Council, 2013).

The daily per capita rate of solid waste production in Qusin is 0.7kg. Thus the estimated amount of solid waste produced per day from the Qusin residents is nearly 1.3 tons, or 485 tons per year (ARIJ-WERU, 2013).

Environmental Conditions

Like other towns and villages in the Governorate, Qusin experiences several environmental problems which must be addressed and solved. These problems can be identified as follows:

Water Crisis

• 40% expansion of the wastewater network. • Rehabilitation of old water network and network expansion to serve new areas.

Wastewater Management

The absence of a public sewage network in the village means that Qusin residents are forced to use unhygienic cesspits for the disposal of wastewater, and/or to discharge wastewater into the streets, as citizens cannot afford the high cost of sewage tankers. This is particularly common in winter. These methods facilitate environmental damage, health problems, and the spread of epidemics and diseases in the village. This wastewater also contaminates the groundwater because most cesspits are built without lining, to avoid the need to use sewage tankers and allow wastewater to enter into the ground. Moreover, the untreated wastewater collected from cesspits by sewage tankers is disposed of in open areas without concern for the damage it causes to the environment and to residents' health.

Solid Waste Management:

Qusin village does not suffer any problems concerning the management of solid waste. This is due to the adequate organization and management of waste disposal services by the Joint Council for the

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Management of Solid Waste. In addition, village residents meet their requirements (the payment for waste services) in terms of facilitating waste disposal. Waste is disposed of in Zahret al Finjan landfill in Jenin Governorate which represents the main environmentally sound landfill serving the village, in addition to most of the localities in Nablus Governorate.

Impact of the Israeli Occupation Geopolitical status in Qusin

According to the Oslo II Interim Agreement signed between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel on 28th September 1995, Qusin was divided into Area B and Area C. Approximately 2,483 dunums (51% of the village’s total area) were assigned as Area B, where the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has complete control over civil matters but Israel continues to have overriding responsibility for security. Area B constitutes most of the inhabited Palestinian areas, including municipalities, villages and some refugee camps. The rest of the village’s area, constituting 2,414 dunums (49% of the total), is classified as Area C, where Israel retains full control over security and administration related to the territory. In Area C, Palestinian building and land management is prohibited without the prior consent or authorization of the Israeli Civil Administration. It is worth noting that most of the population of Qusin resides in Area B. Most of the lands lying within Area C are agricultural areas and open spaces. (See Table 10)

Table 10: The Geopolitical Divisions of Qusin village according to Oslo Agreement 1995 Area Area in dunums Percentage of total village area Area A 0 0 Area B 2,483 51 Area C 2,414 49 Nature Reserve 0 0 Total 4,897 100 Source: ARIJ-GIS, 2014

Qusin village suffers as a result of the Israeli occupation, primarily as a result of the settlements, camps and Israeli military checkpoints that surround the village from all sides. The villagers suffer from arrest procedures regularly. During the Second Intifada, the village suffered from the establishment of extensive checkpoints around the village, which separated the Palestinian territories. The Beit Iba checkpoint and Tunaib checkpoint were established on the road that connects between Nablus and Tulkarm, as well as “Shave Shomron” permanent checkpoint which is situated on the road linking Nablus Governorate to Jenin where these checkpoints were sites for several violations of the Palestinians for several years . It is worth mentioning that "Shave Shomron" checkpoint and its iron gates are currently open for the movement of Palestinian citizens, and the Beit Iba and Tunaib checkpoints have been removed by the occupation forces.

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Settlement expansion plans for the settlement of Kedumim in the territory of Qusin

To the west side of Qusin village, the occupation authorities confiscated an area of 500 dunums of the village land for the purpose of planned settlement expansion on the territory of the village. This area is about one kilometer away from the north of the settlements of Kedumim bloc, located directly on bypass road No. 60. This area is now a military zone and the Israeli occupation forces have prevented Palestinians from entering it, especially the owners of the agricultural land are only allowed through with special permits. Information about this area is not publicly available, however it is believed by local Palestinian citizens that settlement activity there aims to establish an industrial settlement called "Bar Oron" to follow the settlement Block Kedumim.

Landfill outpost in the village of Qusin

After the Second Intifada, Qusin village was negatively impacted by the establishment of a landfill site on its territory to the western side of the village. According to the Land Research Center, this landfill was created by “Crusher Abu Shusha”, on an area of 150 dunums. The landfill site is about 500 meters away from the village houses. This area is considered important because of its available groundwater sources and the fertility of the agricultural land. There are five wells supplying the city of Nablus and its western villages. This landfill is considered a real environmental threat for the entire region, as it causes air, soil and water pollution in addition to the spread of diseases, insects and rodents. The Land Research Center has noted that landfill operations stopped in this area for a short period as a result of pressure from human rights organizations, but is has been operational again since 20091.

Israeli bypass roads in Qusin village

The Israeli occupation authorities established many of the Israeli bypass roads that stretch thousands of kilometers from the north to the south, confiscating hundreds of agricultural and non-agricultural lands in order to link Israeli settlements with each other. It also separates Palestinian land to enhance security control over the Palestinian populations in these areas. On western side of Qusin village, Israel has confiscated more of the village land in order to build bypass road number 60 which runs the length of 1.3km on the territory of the village. It should be noted that the real danger of the bypass roads lies in an area known as the (Buffer Zone) which is imposed by the Israeli army along the roads, which are usually 75 meters long on both sides of the street.

Israeli military orders issued in the village Qusin

Israeli authorities have issued a series of military orders in order to confiscate land in the village of Qusin. The following is one of these commands:

1 http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=1913

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1. Israeli Military Order No. 95/26 / T (extension purpose) issued on the September 18th 2012, confiscated an area of 137 dunums of village lands from Qusin, Deir Sharaf and Kafr Qallil for military purposes (to establish a bypass road to connect the settlements).

Development Plans and Projects

Implemented Projects

Qusin Village Council has implemented a number of development projects in Qusin during the past five years (See Table 11).

Table 11: Implemented Development Plans and Projects in Qusin during the Last Five Years Name of the Project Type Year Donor Constructing a services complex Public Services 2010-2011 The Ministry of Local Government & Ministry of Finance Paving roads Infrastructure 2011 USAID Constructing retaining walls Infrastructure 2008 Cuba Source: Qusin Village Council, 2013

Proposed Projects

Qusin Village Council, in cooperation with the village’s civil society organizations hopes to implement several projects in the coming years. The project ideas were developed during the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) workshop conducted by ARIJ staff in the village. The projects are as follows, in order of priority from the viewpoints of the workshop participants:

1. Establishing a sewerage network (approximately 10-13 kilometers) to link the village with the new treatment unit in the neighboring village of Deir Sharaf. 2. Finishing the new village council building and furnishing it (an estimated cost of about $119,000). 3. Restoring and expanding the village playground (land of approximately 3.5 dunums for the purpose is available). 4. Paving internal roads in the village (approx. 5 km long). 5. Supporting citizens through agricultural projects such as the following:  Constructing agricultural roads (15km).  Establishing agricultural and domestic wells and gardens.  Reclaiming 800 dunums of lands that can be exploited which are threatened with confiscation. 6. Humanitarian projects to support needy families such as the distribution of sheep and poultry, food processing, embroidery and others. 7. Establishing a laboratory at Qusin secondary school (land for the purpose is available). 8. Expanding the public water network to cover all houses of the village (approximately 3km). 9. Developing and improving the health clinic and providing it with modern medical supplies. 10. Establishing a center for assisting education that serves students mainly in the math and English subjects. 11. Constructing a water tank with a capacity of approximately 200 cups.

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Locality Development Priorities and Needs

Qusin suffers from a significant shortage of infrastructure and services. Table 12 shows the development priorities and needs in the village, according to the Village Council’s perspective

Table 12: Development Priorities and Needs in Qusin No. Sector Strongly Needed Not a Notes Needed Priority Infrastructural Needs 1 Opening and pavement of roads * 15 km^ 2 Rehabilitation of old water networks * 3 Extending the water network to cover new built up * 3 km areas 4 Construction of new water networks * 5 Rehabilitation/ construction of new wells or springs * 6 Construction of water reservoirs * 500 cubic meters 7 Construction of a sewage disposal network * 20 km 8 Construction of a new electricity network * 9 Providing containers for solid waste collection * 30 containers 10 Providing vehicles for collecting solid waste * 11 Providing a sanitary landfill * Health Needs 1 Building new clinics or health care centres * 2 Rehabilitation of old clinics or health care centres * 3 Purchasing medical equipment and tools * Educational Needs 1 Building new schools * secondary school for girls 2 Rehabilitation of old schools * all schools 3 Purchasing new school equipment * all levels Agriculture Needs 1 Rehabilitation of agricultural lands * 50 dunums 2 Building rainwater harvesting cisterns * 70 cisterns 3 Construction of livestock barracks * 80 barracks 4 Provision of Veterinary Services * 5 Provision of seeds and hay for animals * 120 tons per year 6 Construction of new greenhouses * 15 greenhouses 7 Rehabilitation of greenhouses * 8 Provision of field crops seeds * 9 Provision of plants and agricultural supplies * ^ 2km main roads, 3km secondary roads and 10km agricultural roads. Source: Qusin Village Council, 2013

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References:

 Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ), 2014. Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Unit Database. Bethlehem - Palestine.  Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ), 2014. Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Unit; Land Use Analysis (2012) – Half Meter High Accuracy. Bethlehem - Palestine.  Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ). 2013. Water & Environment Research Unit Database (WERU). Bethlehem - Palestine.  Ministry of Education & Higher Education (MOHE) - Nablus, 2012. Directorate of Education; A database of schools (2011/2012). Nablus – Palestine.  Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2009. Ramallah, Palestine: General Census of Population and Housing Censuses, 2007.  Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), 2010. Directorate of Agriculture data (2009/2010). Nablus – Palestine.  Qusin Village Council, 2013.

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